i think if we were writing the retrospective on this election, it's the counter factual stupid election because romney is out there saying things could have been so much better than they are. >> think about the counter factual. you're saying the obama campaign should be saying, you're going to be so much better off than you are. think about that. and that's a really tough campaign to run. >> that's because the status quo is mired in this frustrating kind of low-level fever. it's not that the country is, you know, in crisis. we're not priests. we're not about to pitch over the abyss. >> right. that's why this election has been passionless and why it's being fought out over little things like what john sununu said. >> that sort of always happens. a lot of cable air. >> it does, but i think this feels different. it feels like we're in the mud, we're in world war i. >> lynn, professor of political science and george, great to have you here. >> the tea party movement could keep democrats in control of the senate again. that's next. your ford dealer. who has 11 major brands to choose from? yo